Is your child ready to graduate to a booster car seat? Booster seats are for children who have outgrown their forward-facing harnessed convertible car seat.
Since seat belts were designed for adults, a booster seat is used for children who are too small to use the vehicle’s seat belt alone. A booster seat positions the seat belt safely correctly across your child’s body, routing the seat belt flat across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt over the child’s shoulder.
If you’re shopping for a booster car seat, I would encourage you to consider only the seats I’ve listed in my guide to non-toxic car seats. These are the only brands I would feel comfortable using because of their commitment to using safer flame-retardant chemicals.
Car Seat Transition Overview
A typical car seat transition looks something like this:
1) Rear-facing infant car seat: Most newborns start in an infant car seat, which has a 5-point harness and can attach to a stroller. We used the Uppababy Mesa with both kids and were very happy with it. We used the Mesa until both kids were about 7 months old. (View my full list of non-toxic infant car seats.)
2) Rear-facing convertible car seat: After outgrowing the infant car seat, rear-facing in the convertible car seat is safest for your child. The AAP recommends keeping your child rear-facing until at least the age of 2. My oldest stayed rear-facing until well past the age of 4. Many convertible seats now accommodate extended rear-facing. We have a Britax and a Clek, and their limits for rear-facing are 40 lbs., and 43″ or 50 lbs., respectively. View my full list of non-toxic convertible car seats.
3) Forward-facing convertible car seat: Once your child exceeds the weight limit of your convertible car seat for rear-facing, the next step would be to transition to forward-facing in the convertible car seat using a tether. Many car seats now accommodate long-term forward-facing, too; for example, both my Britax and my Clek can be used up to 65 lbs. in forward-facing mode.
4) High-back booster seat: Once your child has outgrown their forward-facing convertible car seat, you can safely transition to a high-back booster seat. Booster seats use the car’s safety belt, and therefore do not have a five-point harness.
There is one noteworthy exception to this, and that is a harnessed booster, which allows you to keep your child in a five-point harness longer before you switch to a booster seat. Otherwise, a regular belt-positioning booster seat can be used. Booster seats can be used on average until children are around the age of 8.
5) Backless booster seat: Eventually, your child may prefer to switch to a backless booster seat. These can be used so long as the seat your child is sitting in has a headrest that your child reaches while sitting in their booster seat. Apparently, a lot of kids like to switch to backless booster seats once social pressures set in so it doesn’t look like they are sitting in a child car seat. Some high-back booster seats can be converted into a backless booster seat, but backless booster seats don’t provide as much protection as high back booster seats do. Try to keep your child in a high back booster seat if possible.
When to Switch to a Booster Seat
The #1 rule of booster seats is that you shouldn’t rush to use one.
The #2 rule? Or maybe it’s a corollary… Never switch to a booster seat before your child has physically outgrown their convertible car seat.
Not only are convertible car seats safer since they have a five-point harness, but most children aren’t mature enough to sit correctly while unrestrained in a booster seat until they are at least five years of age (and sometimes even older).
In a booster seat, your child will have freedom of movement; if they are sitting incorrectly or leaning out of their seat, it is a safety hazard and the seat belt may not adequately protect them in a collision.
So while your toddler may meet the physical requirements to use a booster seat, experts recommend that you wait to switch until they have outgrown their convertible car seat in forward-facing mode.
Just once more for emphasis: If your child has not exceeded their convertible car seat’s forward-facing height and weight limits, you should not start using a booster seat. Instead, continue using a convertible car seat.
How to Check if Your Child Has Outgrown Their Car Seat
To find out if your child has outgrown their convertible car seat, simply consult your car seat’s safety manual for the height and weight limits. If you are using a convertible car seat forward-facing, look to the car seat’s forward-facing weight and height limits. If your child has surpassed those measurements, they have outgrown their car seat.
So, for example, if you have a Britax Advocate Clicktight seat, the forward-facing limits are as follows (at the time of publishing):
If you have this car seat and your child is using the seat in a forward-facing manner (meaning they are seated facing the front window of the car), they would have to stop using this car seat when they exceed either the height or weight limit; i.e. they would have to stop using this car seat if they are over 65 lbs. or are taller than 49″.
Only once your child has outgrown the limits for forward-facing in their convertible car seat will they be ready to switch to a booster seat. BUT, there’s more that you need to know.
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Choosing a Booster Car Seat
If you’ve followed The Gentle Nursery for some time, you’ll know that I place a lot of importance on choosing safe and healthy products for your family. To me, that means avoiding toxic chemicals whenever possible.
But, when buying a car seat, physical safety comes first.
Though we care about the chemical safety of child car seats, it is more important to find a car seat that fits in your car, can reliably be installed correctly, and comfortably fits your child.
Here are some other things to consider when buying a booster car seat:
- Does the booster car seat contain harmful flame-retardant chemicals?
- Does this booster seat have a metal frame?
- Does this seat have side-impact protection?
- How easy is it to install this car seat?
- What are the seat’s height and weight limits? How long can you expect to use this seat based on your child’s height and weight?
- What is the expiration date of this car seat? How long will you be able to utilize this car seat in your family for younger siblings (if applicable)?
- Does it convert from a high-back booster to a backless booster seat?
- Is this booster seat rated an IIHS Best Bet? (This rating means that the seat provides a good belt fit for typical 4 to 8-year-olds in almost any car, minivan, or SUV.)
If you’ve confirmed that your child has exceeded the limits in their convertible car seat, choose from one of the non-toxic booster car seats on our list. These are safer than a backless booster seat, since they provide more structure and safety features.
Additionally, they provide a place for your child to rest their head while sleeping in the car.
Are Backless Booster Car Seats Safe?
Backless booster seats are cushions your child can sit on to help position the seat belt across their lap. When your child has outgrown the high-back booster seat limits, you can either convert your high-back booster to a backless seat (if it converts) or buy a backless booster seat.
However, you should not use a backless seat prior to that stage because they provide less support and impact protection. Why? Backless booster seats may not provide as much crash protection as high-back booster seats do.
According to some CPSTs, backless booster seats can safely be used as long as you can get a good belt fit, the top of your child’s ears reach the top of the vehicle seat back, and your child is mature enough to sit up straight in the booster seat.
Still, it is safer to continue using a high-back booster seat if your child still fits in one.
Here is an informative video that shows how backless booster seats and high-back booster seats perform in a crash. It demonstrates the importance of having head support and a belt path for the seat belt.
In fact, Britax has been a leader in urging parents to stop using backless booster seats. They do not manufacture them and none of their booster seats convert to backless mode. While there are some debates around the validity of Britax’s crash test video below, I found it informative and helpful in deciding whether to recommend backless seats.
I am not a car seat technician, so I will defer to the experts on this. But my personal preference is to always play it safe. I would avoid backless booster seats unless my child has outgrown the high-back booster seat limits.
Final Thoughts on Switching to a Booster Car Seat
Don’t rush on making this change. You’ll know when to switch, but it essentially comes down to: is your child physically ready for a booster car seat, and are they mature enough for a booster seat?
MOM TIP: You can also get the best of both worlds by using a harness-to-booster car seat, which looks like a booster seat but has a five-point harness like a convertible car seat. #win
Next: check out our car seat safety tips. These are 7+ things you should do after buying a new car seat.
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Sources: IIHS Booster Seat Ratings / Mirror UK Booster Seat / Ecology Center Car Seat Study / Child Passenger Safety / Consumer Reports 
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